Bracken counts on lean to left

Test vice-captain Ricky Ponting yesterday mounted a strong argument for Nathan Bracken, the revelation of Australia's one-day tour of India, to make his Test debut in Brisbane next week.

While chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said a 12th man would not be named until just before the first Test against India, which begins at the Gabba on Thursday, Bracken will probably have to fight Brad Williams, who made a strong debut in Sydney last month, for the last fast bowler's spot.

After Jason Gillespie returned to replace the injured Brett Lee, Hohns yesterday suggested Australia would be unlikely to take four fast bowlers into the Test.

"It's an option that's available to us given Simon Katich is there, but we haven't done that before in Brisbane," Hohns said. "How realistic it is will depend on the conditions."

The prospect of four pacemen seems even fainter because, for both Bracken and Williams to play, the selectors would have to drop specialist leg spinner Stuart MacGill and rely on Katich's left-arm wrist spin, or leave out Katich, who captured six wickets in his most recent Test outing and is averaging 215 for NSW in four-day cricket this season.

Ponting said Bracken, who was the leading wicket-taker in India with 14 scalps, could bother India's quality batsmen with his veering left-arm pace.

"Definitely. I think it's probably been something we've spoken about for a couple of years. We've thought they've been a bit vulnerable against good left-arm bowlers," said Ponting, a view supported by the four-wicket performance of Victorian left-armer Mathew Inness in the tour match against the Indians this week.

"His [Bracken's] performances in India were outstanding. He must have been very close to winning the man of the series award," Ponting said.

"Over the winter he's worked on being able to swing the ball back into right-handed batsmen, which, when you look back on the last tour, was the undoing of a few of their players, especially early on.

"He's improved leaps and bounds and I'm sure he would do a great job if he was picked in the Test team."

Hohns would not be drawn on which of the tyro fast bowlers was more likely to play.

"We'll decide just before the match. We'll have a look at the conditions. Both bowled exceptionally well in India. It depends on the conditions," he said.

"Bracken being a left-armer is obviously an advantage [but] Williams hasn't done much wrong. It will be a difficult decision. We'll decide a day or so before the game."

Williams took four wickets in his first Test, against Zimbabwe last month.

Hohns said Steve Waugh's retirement would enable a gradual process of replenishment, with 33-year-olds Glenn McGrath and Darren Lehmann showing signs of wear and the suspension of Shane Warne, 34, shrouding his career in uncertainty.

He said he would prefer to rebuild gradually than face a period of sudden upheaval reminiscent of the situation when "four or five players" retired at once at the end of the Marsh- Lillee-Chappell era, leading to a grim period for Australian cricket in the mid-1980s.

"We've definitely been trying to do that from time to time whenever the opportunity presents itself over the last couple of years. I suppose we really want to try and not have them all bowing out at the same time," Hohns said.

Katich kept his place in a relatively inexperienced 12-man squad announced yesterday, ahead of Martin Love, while MacGill, who missed the last Test with a calf injury, returns at Brad Hogg's expense.

Hohns said Love was one of several batsmen who would press for future selection, including "shining light" Michael Clarke and Victoria's prolific Brad Hodge, who pounded the Indians for 264 yesterday.